The present invention relates to a modular electronic system for vehicles and particularly one which facilitates the mounting of a variety of selectable accessory modules and displays for providing a variety of electronic vehicular features.
Electrical circuitry can accessorize a vehicle to provide a wide variety of electronic features such as an electrical compass, the receipt and display of paging messages, navigation information, cellular telephone controls, vehicle operating parameter displays, and the like. To be operational, the electrical circuitry of these features requires connection to the vehicle's electrical system and, in some instances, to remote microprocessors, displays, sensors, and the like. Various combinations of such features may be desired by a vehicle's owner, either at the time of or subsequent to the purchase of a vehicle. Thus, a system that facilitates the selectable implementation of various combinations of such electronic features is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,990, issued Aug. 20, 1991 to the present assignee, discloses a system that enables electronic features, embodied in external accessory modules, to be installed within a vehicle either during manufacture or subsequent to purchase. This system provides the flexibility to implement various modules such that a wide range of consumer preferences are accommodated. However, this system requires manual interfacing between the accessory modules and the vehicle's electrical system, and programming to complete the installation.
Thus, there exists a need for an electronic system enabling various electronic features to be easily and conveniently added to a vehicle during manufacture, at the dealer, or subsequent to purchase, and one which has the flexibility to accommodate a wide range of consumer preferences.